Protect Uploads
by Protect Uploads · Security
Protect your uploads directory. Prevent browsing, password-protect files, add watermarks, and discourage right-click copying.
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Health
A 89/100
no flags
Active installs
30K+
≈37K estimated
Momentum
-24%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “security”, “password protection” and “watermark” for “browsing”, “upload” and “health”. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “browsing” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “password protection” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “upload” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “watermark” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #21. “health” sits at #20 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
89 health vs 66 average across 1,775 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.9%
of downloads still active
At least 30K of 1.6M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Security plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,059 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Security plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 4 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 24 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.8★ over 12 reviews, smoothed to 4.24★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
35
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.5
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
14%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.2
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| protect uploads | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| uploads | #2 | #3 | down 1 |
| discourage | #2 | #3 | up 1 |
| protect | #3 | #6 | down 1 |
| password protect a pdf | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| copy protect | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| password protect | #5 | #8 | 0 |
| protect web page | #3 | #5 | 0 |
| private files your tag | #11 | #18 | up 1 |
| browsing | #10 | #18 | 0 |
| protect your wordpress site | #5 | #11 | 0 |
| protect page | #5 | #9 | 0 |
| password protect site | #6 | #10 | — |
| password protect page | #6 | #8 | 0 |
| password protect form | #6 | #13 | 0 |
| directory listing your tag | #17 | #22 | 0 |
| upload | #11 | #16 | down 1 |
| htaccess | #12 | #18 | 0 |
| watermark your tag | #21 | #15 | down 5 |
| password protection your tag | #24 | #22 | down 2 |
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
121 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 93 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “security”, “password protection” and “watermark” for “browsing”, “upload” and “health”. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “browsing” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “password protection” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “upload” sits at #11 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “watermark” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #21. “health” sits at #20 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- Slipping on “watermark”. Down 5 places since 2026-09-20, now #21. Check what shipped around then, and what moved above you.
- One page off on “private files”. #11 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 204K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
4
releases in the last 12 months
24d ago
latest release · v0.8.0 · 7 Oct 2026
10
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “30K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 73% of the way through.
Install history since 16 Oct 2015
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 0.7.0 Added Site Health checks: uploads directory browsing protection status, detected server configuration (Apache/Nginx), and a bounded scan for sensitive file types in the uploads directory Added unobtrusive upgrade hints f 0.7.0
- — Version 0.6.0 Added image watermarking with customizable text, position, opacity, and font size Added right-click protection to prevent image downloads Added password protection for individual media files Added access logging for pass 0.6.0
- — Version 0.5.2 Removed unused css 0.5.2
- — Version 0.4 Fix potential security issues. Remove recursive loop that creates indexes. 0.4
- — Version 0.3 Simplify UI admin. check presence of index.html. Remove option value managing current protection status. Reorganizing code and making it more modular and simple. Remove useless pieces. 0.3
- — Version 0.2 Add security check to form in admin page. Add sidebar for admin page Add Italian translation (thanks to Marko97). Try to fix the wrong message saying that Protection is disabled even though it is actually working. 0.2
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (0.8.0). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2022-08-13 Improper Authorization Affects <= 0.3 Patched in 0.4
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 5 languages, 0 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
5 of 8 pass · checked 25 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Protect your uploads directory. Prevent browsing, password-protect files, add watermarks, and discourage ri..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 8 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 8 of 8 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("who wants"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions LiteSpeed.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 3 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,876 characters of description.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("directory listing", "private files", "security" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-07-26 40K+ → 30K+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-07-24 30K+ → 40K+ up after 27 days in tier
- 2026-06-27 40K+ → 30K+ down after 25 days in tier
- 2026-06-02 30K+ → 40K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-06-01 40K+ → 30K+ down after 76 days in tier
- 2026-03-17 30K+ → 40K+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2026-03-15 40K+ → 30K+ down after 4 days in tier
- 2026-03-11 30K+ → 40K+ up after 1667 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags B -
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag A -
Hostinger Tools 3M+ installs · 3.6★ · 1 shared tag B -
Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A -
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ installs · 3.7★ · 1 shared tag B -
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Protect Uploads into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/protect-uploads" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Protect Uploads — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Protect Uploads: 30K+ active installs, 4.8★ (12 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/protect-uploads
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